Harp.



PATENTBD SEPT. 22, 1903.

J. E. GHILDS.

HARP.

APPLICATION FILED 2a, 1903.

H0 MODEL.

v u o u OOOOOOOJO UNITED STATES Patented September 22, 1903.

JAMES E. CHILDS, OF SPOKANE, WVASHING'ION.

HARP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,647, datedSeptember 22, 1903.

application filed January 28, 1903. Serial No. 140,863. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. CHILDs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State'of Washington,have invented new and useful Improvements in Harps, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in harps, and has for one of itsobjects to provide a harp the strings of which are disposed in a hollowhorn-shaped body calculated to increase the power of the tones and areadapted to be picked at a point adjacent to where their upper ends arefastened, this latter in order that when a string breaks only a smallportion of the string need be lost and the remainder and major portionthereof may be drawn up through the bridge and again fastened.

Another object is to provide a harp embodying simple, inexpensive, andlight devices through the medium of which a harpist may readily sharpthe strings, when desired, with his thumbs.

With the foregoing in mind the invention will be fully understood fromthe following description and claims when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a harpconstituting one embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2, a front elevationof the same; Fig. 3, a transverse section taken in the plane indicatedby the broken line 3 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, an enlarged vertical sectiontaken in the plane indicated by the broken line 4 4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, adetail side elevation of the upper portion of the harp, illustrating therelative arrangement of the strings and the thumb devices for sharpingthe strings; and Fig. 6, an enlarged perspective view of one of-the saidthumb devices removed.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of theseveral views of the drawings, referring to which A is .the hollowhorn-like body of my improved harp, which is made of wood or othersuitable material and is by preference shaped to resemble a whale, asshown. In the prepiece, while the front wall c is suitably connected tothe side walls, head, and foot or base. The side walls I) are providedwith exterior strips or bridges f and have their upper ends disposedabout the distance illustrated below the head (I, this latter in orderto provide a space g, in which the strings may be conveniently picked.

B B are the strings. I have shown but eighteen strings, nine at eachside of'the head (I; but I desire it understood that in practice Iprefer to employ fourteen strings in the treble row at the right-handside of the head 01 and fourteen strings in the bass row at the oppositeside of the head d. I also prefer to tune the strings in the treble orright-hand row two octaves above the strings in the bass or left-handrow and to arrange the strings in the treble row in transverse alinementwith the corresponding strings in the bass row, and so that the loweststring inthe treble row will be middle C and the lowest string in thebass row will be 0 two octaves lower, and so on up the scale. From thisit follows that the harp may be played in the same manner as an ordinaryharp. The lower portions of the strings B are wrapped around orotherwise secured to buttons h, disposed at the outer sides of thestrips or bridges f, and from said buttons the strings are passedthrough the bridges and the side walls I) of the body and up to the headd, where they are passed over metallic pins t' and suitably secured totuning-keys j.

G is 'a hook, preferably of metal, connected to the upper portion of thebody at the back thereof and adapted when the harp is to be played to beplaced over the right shoulder of the harpist, so as to cause the harpto stand at an angle of about forty-five degrees and in a convenientposition for the harpist to reach the treble strings with his right handand the bass strings with his left hand, and D D are the thumb devices,of metal or other suitable material, for sharping the strings whendesired. These devices in the preferred embodiment of my inventionrespectively comprise a rock-shaft is, disposed transverselyin the headd of ,the bodyA and having depending lugs l, one of which is arranged toengage a treble string and the other the corresponding bass string, anda depending thumb-piece m at one end of the rockshaft. The lugs Z andthumb-pieces m are arranged as stated with relation to the rockshafts 7ain order to assure the lugs Znormally hanging clear of the strings. Thedevices D are preferably arranged in the head d, as best shown in Figs.4 and 52'. e., the device for sharping the O strings is arranged withits thumb-piece at one side of the head 61 and the device for sharpingthe D strings is arranged with its thumb-piece at the opposite side ofthe head d, and so on. 'Ijrom this it follows that the harpist isenabled to use the thumb of one hand to sharp some of the strings andthe thumb of his other hand to sharp the alternate strings, and it willalso be observed that when a thumb piece is pressed both the treblestring and the corresponding bass string which it is arranged to engagewill be sharped.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that in virtue of the stringsbeing disposed in the hollow horn-shaped body the power of the tonesproduced by picking the strings is greatly increased, and it will alsobe appreciated that the picking of the strings in the space g, adjacentto the keys 3', is advantageous, since when a string is worn in two themajor portion of the string below the picking-point may be drawn up andfastened to its complementary key. It will be further gathered from theforegoing that my improved harp is advantageous, because the stringswithin the body A are protected against dampness and injury and alsobecause the devices employed for sharping the strings are very light andinexpensive and add but little to the weight and cost of the harp.

I have entered into a detailed description of the construction andrelative arrangement of the parts embraced in the present and preferredembodiment of my invention in order to impart a full, clear, and exactunderstanding of the same. I do not desire, however, to be understood asconfining myself to such specific construction and arrangement of parts,as such changes or modifications may be made in practice as fairly fallwithin the scope of my invention as claimed.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

1. A harp comprising a hollow, horn-shaped body having a head at oneend, and openings in its sides, adjacent to said end, forming apicking-space, and strings arranged in the res, 64?

hollow body, and connected at one end to the main portion of the body,and at their opposite ends to the head thereof.

2. Atharp comprisingahollow, horn-shaped body having a head at one end,and openings in its sides, adjacent to said end, forming a pickingspace,bass and treble strings arranged in the body at opposite sides of thehead, and connected at one end to the main portion of the body, and attheir opposite ends to the head thereof, and sharping devices mounted inthe head, and each having a portion to engage a treble string, and aportion to engage the bass string corresponding to said treble string.

3. In a harp, the combination of a body, bass and treble strings securedin the body, and arranged so that each treble string is opposite acorresponding bass string, and a sharping device complementary to eachbass string and the corresponding treble string; the said devices beingmounted in the body, and each having means for simultaneously engaging atreble string and a corresponding bass string.

4. Aharp comprising a hollow, horn-shaped body having its back and frontwalls extended beyond its side walls at one end, and a head interposedbetween the extended portions of the back and front walls, and trebleand bass strings arranged at opposite sides of the head and in the body,and interposed between and connected to said head and the main portionof the body.

5. In a harp, the combination of a hollow, horn-shaped body open at oneend and having a head at such end, base and treble strings arranged inthe body at opposite sides of the head and interposed between andconnected to said head and the main body portion, and a sharping devicecomplementary to each bass string and the corresponding treble string;the said devices respectively comprisinga rock-shaftjournaled in thehead of the body, and extending transversely thereof, lugs dependingfrom the rock-shaft and arranged to engage the bass and treble strings,and a thumb-piece depending from one end of the rock-shaft.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JAMES E. CHILDS.

Witnesses: I

M.- I; WAGER, J. D. EATON.

